POLICE DISCOVER ILLEGAL MONEY PRINTING OFFICE IN RIJEKA

RIJEKA, June 4 (Hina) - Police in the northern Adriatic port city of Rijeka have discovered an illegal money printing office in a loft in the city's Drenova district, police chief Zlatko Lenac told a news conference on Wednesday. The office, run by a Rijeka family, printed counterfeit US dollars, German marks, Italian lire and Croatian kunas. Lenac said that the discovery was a great success because it prevented an attack on the Croatian monetary system. The foreign currencies were printed in all denominations while kunas were printed in denominations of 100, 200 and 500. A significant number of forged Croatian and foreign documents also were found. "How many such notes have so far been put into circulation is yet to be determined, but it is certain that the counterfeit 200 kuna notes were circulated in Rijeka. Three such notes have so far been found and withdrawn," a police officer told the news conference. All members of the family have been arrested. One of them is a printer by vocation. (hina) vm jn 041725 MET jun 97